The Israeli Defense Ministry and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) launched the Ofeq 11 satellite – the most advanced reconnaissance satellite developed by the IAI - from Palmachim Air Base this evening (Tuesday). The Ofeq 11, whose objective is to collect critical intelligence, is Israel’s fifth reconnaissance satellite in space.

The Israeli security industries, the Defense Ministry and the IAI are all waiting in suspense to see that the launching was successful and that the satellite is fully functioning following the explosion that occurred two weeks ago during the launch of Israel’s Amos-6 communications satellite in the U.S.

I assume that this is a new optical reconnaissance satellite rather than a radar TecSAR payload. The first use of the new OpSAR-3000 platform for the optical series?

And yesterday I finalised the proofs for my latest paper detailing the Israeli reconnaissance satellite programme for the Space Chronicle series of the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society! To late to update now.

Don't expect TLEs from Space-Track - Ofeq TLEs have been classified since 2011.

Based on my amateur analysis of Ofeq TLEs and the passes over Israel this morning on Heaven's Above, a replacement for Ofeq 9 seems likely and logical due to its age. I think I have the UTC offset correct but maybe not...

I assume that this is a new optical reconnaissance satellite rather than a radar TecSAR payload. The first use of the new OpSAR-3000 platform for the optical series?

And yesterday I finalised the proofs for my latest paper detailing the Israeli reconnaissance satellite programme for the Space Chronicle series of the Journal of the British Interplanetary Society! To late to update now.

Don't expect TLEs from Space-Track - Ofeq TLEs have been classified since 2011.

Would you mind posting an update here when it is published? I look forward to reading your article.

Amnon Harari, head of the space department in the Defense Ministry, said: "We made contact with the satellite, we know it entered its orbit going around the earth every hour and a half.

"We are in continued contact with the satellite and are monitoring its condition. There are indications of some things that aren't working as we expected. We're trying to stabilize it, and this will take a few days," Harari explained.

If there are problems with the satellite, I wonder if these could be because of the new OpSAT-3000 platform that is being used? There have not been similar reports of problems with other Israeli satellites that have reached orbit.

Ofeq reconnaissance satellites have always performed a perigee-raising manoeuvre at their first pass through apogee. Therefore it will be interesting whether Ofeq 11 has successfully performed this manoeuvre, since problems have appeared so soon after orbital injection.

Mere hours following the Ofeq 11 satellite launch from the Palmachim Air Force Base, Israeli Defense Ministry officials suspect that several of the satellite’s crucial systems are not properly functioning. “The satellite’s first hours are always difficult,” a senior level official said. “There are indications that things are not working as we expected.”